24 Sep 2016

For the longest time, I, as a person has believed that being lonely generally means being sad. Till very late I actually believed it too. But my recent experiences with myself have proven that being lonely isn’t necessarily sad.

There were two friends. They were interested in making money on an investment that had been hyped by the media. One friend decided to investigate the facts, while the other one put faith in the media. Two months later, the stock crashed. One friend suffered heavy losses, the other remained unhurt and unruffled.

Can you guess which is which?

Man is a rational animal, with qualities that make him innately curious and quick to learn. Evidence is in your blood; all relatives are pesky and inquisitive in different amounts – inquiring after health, marks and your love life. The thing is, man has evolved way too quickly for nature to catch up with – and that’s why he always has questions the answers to which he can’t possibly know, or at least couldn’t till a few decades ago.

“Where does the moon go when it disappears from the sky?” “What happens to a person when he or she dies?” “How did life on earth begin?”

I’ve always found it quite entertaining when someone tells me that their religion is the real one.

There’s been almost two thousand gods in all the religions; how can one person state that their god is the only one that’s real? There’s people whom god has spoken to, there’s people in hospital psych wards and there’s no way to differentiate between them, so far as I’m concerned. In fact, a hospital may be the only place where we see people of science and religion existing in harmony, the former to treat and the latter to be treated.

Very recently, a huge replica of Noah’s Ark was built in the United States. It is very big, and a spectacular waste of millions of dollars, but then, disaster struck. Much like the unstoppable force of nature that Noah’s flood was, Bill Nye the science guy visited the place and proceeded to trash all the creationists that were preaching the holiness of their Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Fun Fact: Iceland is the most peaceful country on earth, having no army and being swift to punish its corrupt citizens.

Fun fact #2: It is also the most atheistic country on earth, with an overwhelming 93% claiming to have no groundless belief in an entity whatsoever.

Still think the above facts are disconnected? Syria and Iraq – two primarily Islamic countries, have had thousands of casualties in the past years to terrorism and United States army interference – another religiously powered country.

Fun Fact: A scientific study has shown that atheists are more likely to suffer from depression than theists.

Fun Fact #2: Another scientific study has shown that intellectuals are more likely to suffer from depression than people of a lower IQ.

Logic and faith aren’t compatible, they’re separated by a wall the likes of which Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to build along the Mexico border. There is no evidence at all to support anything related to god, but yet people have faith.

A couple of friends even stated how that elevated them to a higher aspect of life and how fulfilling it was. I’ve never understood how people can believe in something that has no grounding in reality at all. Let us consider the idea of Schrodinger’s cat. The situation is this: a cat is placed in a box with a vial of poison. The box is closed and the cat is not visible at all. Schrodinger’s hypothesis was that until the box is opened we do not know whether the cat is alive or dead.

Now, consider a situation where I come along and tell you that the cat is alive. You ask for reasons, but I do not have any. In no way can I prove that the cat is alive, all I do is ask for your faith that the cat is alive. I attempt to rid my house of rats and other vermin by keeping the closed box in his house. When the pests continue to be a problem, I blame myself for not having enough faith in the cat. Would you believe me?

No, you wouldn’t. But why wouldn’t you believe me? Would it be because of the fact that whatever I said wasn’t written in a book thousands of years old? Or would it be because I’m a lunatic who has no grip on reality? Or would it be because I have complete faith on a cat that neither you nor I have ever seen in real life, after its time out in the box? Or would it be because I’m asking for your faith for a hypothetical situation?

Religion attempted to answer a lot of questions about human life at a time when science was in its infancy – a time when Aristotle thought that the world had four elements, namely – earth, fire, air, water.

Has anyone ever wondered why no major religion has “begun” since science started taking over during the times of da Vinci and Machiavelli? Why the Second Coming hasn’t yet occurred? Why there’s still pain and suffering in a world that’s supposedly overseen by an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-merciful god?

There’s no logic in it. I’ve met people who believe in dinosaurs and evolution and are theists. Those kind of people are wimps who believe in god for fear of burning in the nine hells, if god does turn out to be real. They have their doubts. They have logic, but have been indoctrinated by rigorous coaching and mind numbing by their “peers” and society.

The Republican National Convention is going on at Cleveland, and they’re the most headstrong bunch of people you’ll ever see, with their assertions that gay people are evil and stupid opinion regarding global warming. You want to see what happens when irrational beats rational? Watch YouTube videos of those people.

You can choose between logic and faith; between rational and ritual. There’s no way around it. There’s no way the aforementioned are compatible, except as a source of comic relief. It’s time you chose.

Qandeel Baloch is a legend. Period. In case any of you were living under a rock for the past week or two, she is a literal legend – someone who stood by her ideals and principles, withstanding the pressures of society and fanatics.

We, as a society, furtively maintain a set of double standards. We take offence at the nuances of speech at one moment but the very next moment, we let blatant errors of speech go unnoticed. Maybe, our society has always been this liberal with respect to women.

22 Sep 2016

In the land of Mughlai richness, Kashmiri wazwan Lakhnavi nazakat and Hyderabadi piquancy, not much is spoken about Bihari food beyond litti-chokha, which does not even fall in the category of delicacies in Bihar. Mostly cooked by labourers on wooden and charcoal fire, litti was hardly ever a gourmet preparation in the state. Have a look at some lesser known, but supremely delicious foods from the state.

Sattu Drink: Made with roasted gram powder, water, rock salt and roasted cumin, it is as tasty as it is healthy. On most occasions it is a breakfast on the go for busy people.

Til-Laddu: Makar Sankranti is a major festival in Bihar and a huge variety of gajaks and til laddus are made during this festival.

Thekua: The Bihari version of cookies, it is made with whole wheat and jaggery and is deep fried. In the sacred festival of chhath, it is made as Prasad.

Gaja: They look like shakarpare and are an essential part of the wedding snacks that the bride carries to her in-laws place.

Pitha: Made with rice and dal or rice and coconut or rice cooked in milk, pitha is a traditional Bihari preparation made during festivals and sometimes as an indulgent afternoon dish.

Mutton curry: For non-vegetarian Biharis, mutton curry made in mustard oil and ghee is the ultimate way to celebrate a joy.

Malpua: Unlike the regular malpua, the traditional Bihari malpua has bananas in it. But it is also made sans bananas with loads of khoya and paneer, dipped in cardamom sugar syrup. Slurp!

Litti-Chokha: It is that lone dish which has been able to place Bihari food somewhere in the global food map. Litti is a spicy roasted dumpling made with roasted gram powder to which spices are added and chokha is roasted brinjal and potato mash with a lot of garlic and coriander.

Makhana-Kheer: Made with makhane, it is one of the most sought after vrat dishes which is also served as a dessert.

Khaja: A must have preparation during weddings, this layered sweet is a pure delight. A place called Silav is said to make the most delicious Khajas.

Kala Jamun: Kala Jamun is a version of Gulab Jamun, which is darker in colour and is filled with saffron syrup. Heavenly!

Jhalmurhi: While Bengal may lay a claim on this savory, spicy desi trail-mix made with puffed rice, mustard oil, onion and green chillies, it is so popular in Bihar that evenings are almost unimaginable without it.

Ghughni: Made with soaked black chickpeas, this is a mouth-watering preparation which is relished with puffed rice, chrwa, paratha or poori.

Choora-Badam: Deep fried chirwa and peanuts, may not be really healthy, but they taste super awesome!

Bihari Kebab: Made of lamb strips, these melt-in the mouth kebabs are roasted in a charcoal oven and are served with lemon and onion rings. The credit for the origin of these kebabs is given to the Afghan invaders of medieval age.

Balushahi: One of the most popular Bihari sweets, Balushahi, fried in desi ghee is among the most exchanged sweets during festivities. Silk-city, Bhagalpur is famous for its melt-in the mouth balushahis.

Anarsa: Gaya district (yes, you got it right-the land of Buddha) is famous for this mithai which is basically khoya ball, dipped in rice batter, coated with sesame seeds and deep fried.

Ask a young school child tips on how to sleep better, and they would just say do one thing, keep all their books away and tuck themselves into that Chhota Bheem designed quilt and slowly go into the land of candies, chocolates, action heroes and fairies. Do you remember that once upon a time you too were the same?

In this day and age, we are all well-informed, especially where our gut is concerned. We know all about the things we should be eating, the things we want to eat, and even where to eat them. We are all in tune with what our palate craves, and what our tummies are rumbling or calling out for.

Google's much talked about messaging app Allo is finally here. It is the second part of Google's new messaging plan with the Duo, a video calling app, being the first half. Now, there are a number of messaging apps in the market, with various features and unique ways to go about messaging. The Allo resembles WhatsApp most and that we are sure is by design because WhatsApp is the world's top messaging app. Obviously people find a lot of merit in WhatsApp and hence Google has modelled Allo after it.

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) Actress Sonakshi Sinha says now is the best time to be in the Hindi film industry, as she feels female actors are not only getting meatier roles but are also being given their due in terms of pay.

"I think now is the best time to be in this industry for an actress as there are wonderful roles written for women, films centre around the female protagonist like 'Akira'," Sonakshi told PTI.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) "Parched" director Leena Yadav has revealed that her next film will be a slice-of-life story about a father-son duo.

Leena said she hopes to start filming in winter this year.

"I already have my next script in place. It is about a father-son duo from Chandni Chowk, Delhi. I am hoping to begin filming in winter. After 'Parched', I will start the casting process. I have time only till March next year," the director said said in a group interview.

When asked about more details of the yet-untitled movie, Yadav said, "I am talking to a couple of actors. Audience will relate to the story. It is a very sweet, funny film but it is something which happens in every house."

The filmmaker said she also has a couple of international projects.

Meanwhile, "Parched" is set to arrive in theatres on September 23. Produced by Ajay Devgn, it stars Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla and Tannishta Chatterjee.PTI

Days after cricketer Gautam Gambhir said the martyrs of Uri attack deserve a biopic rather than any cricketer, "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story" director Neeraj Pandey says a filmmaker should talk about every issue.

Gambhir recently posted a tweet that the 17 soldiers who were killed in the terrorist attack in Uri deserved a biopic as they are the best inspiration of those who laid their lives for the country.

21 Sep 2016

Handout E mailDirector AMR Ramesh during a location scout for his film Asphota.

Twenty-five years after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, A.M.R. Ramesh ofCynide fame is set to launch Asphota, a film on it, on Wednesday.

The film will be simultaneously released in three more languages — as Manidha Vedigundu in Tamil and as Human Bomb in Hindi and Telugu. “A five-minute trailer on the theme and the research into the assassination will also be launched on the occasion,” Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu.

20 Sep 2016

Simple stretching and bending exercises can go a long way in cutting health hazards from a sedentary lifestyle. (Shutterstock)

Usually stuck at work for long hours? Your sedentary lifestyle will definitely ruin your fitness. So, in between all the deadlines and pending work, make sure you do some stretching exercises at your workplace, suggests an expert.

(Clockwise from top left) Prakash Jha (Jai Gangaajal), Anurag Kashyap (Akira), Tigmanshu Dhulia (Gangs of Wassaypur), and Sudhir Mishra (Traffic Signal) have proved that apart from being brilliant directors, they can give tough competition to the actors

If it hadn’t been for Naseeruddin Shah, director Sudhir Mishra might have been known as actor Sudhir Mishra instead. Not that Mishra doesn’t act. His Haji Bhaijaan in Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2007 film Traffic Signal still sends chills down the spine. And he does bit roles every now and then. “If a good friend asks me to do a role, I take it up simply because I love hanging around on the sets. If you are directing you are burdened with responsibilities, so you can’t enjoy filmmaking that much,” he says.

Mishra actually considered being an actor, having acted in several plays, but Shah got in the way. “We were doing Khamosh,” he says. “I was working as an assistant director and also had a bit role. Seeing Naseer act up close, I realised I can never be as good as him. So I chose something I thought I was good at instead. Naseer single-handedly put me off acting. Either you should be as good as him or not act at all.”

Indonesia plans to pursue Alphabet Inc's Google for five years of back taxes, and the search giant could face a bill of more than $400 million for 2015 alone if it is found to have avoided tax payments, a senior tax official told Reuters.

Muhammad Hanif, head of the tax office's special cases branch, said its investigators went to Google's local office in Indonesia on Monday.

Xiaomi is a company with insatiable desire to conquer different markets, markets that are as diverse as chalk and cheese. It already sells phones. And it sells rice cookers. Now it is adding a mirrorless camera to its portfolio. Using brand name Xiaoyi, the Chinese smartphone company on Monday entered the market with a mirrorless camera that looks eerily similar to the ones made by Leica.

With the advent of the rains it is important to ensure to keep sickness at bay.

The damp and filthy conditions in monsoons plays a host for many diseases and germs which cause some serious health issues like dengue, malaria , conjunctivitis , typhoid , viral fever and chikungunya.

Hence Sakshi Saxena, a senior nutritionist at Healthians advised to include immune boosting foods in daily diet to avoid the health issues.

Ever since Bollywood heartthrob and ‘chocolate boy’, Shahid Kapoor became a proud father to a little princess, all his fans have been waiting with bated breath to know the little cutie pie’s name. From being a super-talented actor to an outstanding son to a caring hubby, Shahid is fully enjoying this new chapter of being a father as well.

He has done many wonderful things for his wifey dear and has given some serious relationship goals to others. We, in fact, shared with you a few adorable things that the actor had done to pamper his pregnant wife.

Until a week ago, Shahid told the press that they hadn’t decided the name of their little entrant of the family. And in fact, a number of interesting names had also been doing the rounds for quite some time like Shira, Shamira and so on.

But now finally papa Shahid has come over the counter to officially announce the name of his appple of the eye.

Just a few minutes ago, Shahid has tweeted the name of his little princess and it’s truly lovely. Here it is:

And hold on! There is something special about this name, did you just notice that? Well, let us tell you, Misha is actually a mixture of both Mira and Shahid’s name. Isn’t this really cute?

All those anxious fans who were eagerly waiting to know what Sasha’s daughter will be addressed as, can now take a deep breath.

The cutesy couple had flown to Amritsar, Punjab along with Pankaj Kapoor to seek blessings of a Baba and only after that they had come up with this lovely name.

Shahid and Mira are very protective parents and haven’t given even a single chance to paparazzi to click their angel.

After an outstanding work in blockbuster film, Udta Punjab lately, Shahid fans will be seeing him in Vishal Bharadwaj's profoundly awaited period drama Rangoon. After this, he will be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati.

Well, we all are very happy to hear the toddler’s name and now we just can’t wait to see her first glimpse. And all you guys, if you want to catch first look of Shahid and Mira’s daughter, we mean Misha Kapoor, stay tuned with us right here!